Cellulose acetate tow

A Cigarette filter is a component of your cigarette, in addition to cigarette paper, capsules and adhesives. The filter could be produced from cellulose acetate fibre, paper or activated charcoal (either as being a cavity filter or embedded to the cellulose acetate). Macroporous phenol-formaldehyde resins and asbestos have been used in cigarette filters The acetate and paper change the particulate smoke phase by particle retention (filtration), and finely divided carbon modifies the gaseous phase (adsorption). Filters is able to reduce “tar” and nicotine smoke yields up to 50%, with a greater removal rate for other classes of compounds (e.g., phenols), however are ineffective in filtering toxins like deadly carbon monoxide. Most factory-made cigarettes include a filter; people that roll their very own can find them coming from a tobacconist.


Cellulose acetate is made by esterifying bleached cotton or wood pulp with acetic acid. Of the three cellulose hydroxy groups designed for esterification, between two and three are esterified by controlling the volume of acid (degree of substitution (DS) 2.35-2.55). The ester is spun into fibers and formed into bundles called filter tow. Flavors (menthol), sweeteners, softeners (triacetin), flame retardants (sodium tungstate), breakable capsules releasing flavors when needed, and additives colouring the cigarette could possibly be added to cigarette filters. The 5 largest manufactures of filter tow are Hoechst-Celanese and Eastman Chemicals in the usa, Rhodia Acetow in Germany, Daicel in Japan, and Courtaulds in the United Kingdom.

Starch glues or emulsion-based adhesives can be used gluing cigarette seams. Hot-melt and emulsion-based adhesives are used for filter seams. Emulsion-based adhesives are used for bonding the filters on the cigarettes.

Cellulose acetate is non-toxic, odorless, tasteless, and weakly flammable. It’s resistance against weak acids which is largely stable to mineral and fatty oils and also petroleum. It can be biodegradable and the raw materials are a renewable natural polymer anticipated to find application for other uses down the road. Smoked cigarette butts contain 5-7 mg nicotine (about 25% from the total cigarette nicotine content), children ingesting >2 whole cigarettes, 6 cigarette butts or a total of 0.5 mg/kg of nicotine must be admitted to a hospital. Cellulose acetate is hydrophilic and retains the water-soluble smoke constituents, that most are irritating (acids, alkali, aldehydes, and phenols), while letting with the lipophilic aromatic compounds.
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